> It's an essential service that the free market has largely stopped providing ...
I think you're misinterpreting the situation.
What we're actually seeing in this industry (and most others) is that the various levels of government in Canada have collectively imposed so much artificial overhead and interference on businesses that it has become nearly impossible for the free market to function.
Some of this is directly imposed, in the form of high taxation, unnecessary regulation, pointless bureaucracy, and so forth.
A lot of it, though, is indirect. For example, the high price of real estate (solely caused by the governments' flawed immigration and property development policies) imposes significant, but less-obvious, overhead on businesses. Buying or leasing office/retail/workshop/warehouse/etc. space has become prohibitive in many cases. Entrepreneurs and business owners are forced to direct more resources toward their own personal housing, instead of their businesses. Prospective employees can't move as easily. Entrepreneurs can't take as much risk as they otherwise could.
Even well-established businesses have been finding it more and more difficult to feasibly operate in Canada.
There are many private entrepreneurs and private businesses in Canada who are more than willing to providing local news coverage. Thanks solely to government, however, it's just not feasible for them to do so, so they don't.
I think you're misinterpreting the situation.
What we're actually seeing in this industry (and most others) is that the various levels of government in Canada have collectively imposed so much artificial overhead and interference on businesses that it has become nearly impossible for the free market to function.
Some of this is directly imposed, in the form of high taxation, unnecessary regulation, pointless bureaucracy, and so forth.
A lot of it, though, is indirect. For example, the high price of real estate (solely caused by the governments' flawed immigration and property development policies) imposes significant, but less-obvious, overhead on businesses. Buying or leasing office/retail/workshop/warehouse/etc. space has become prohibitive in many cases. Entrepreneurs and business owners are forced to direct more resources toward their own personal housing, instead of their businesses. Prospective employees can't move as easily. Entrepreneurs can't take as much risk as they otherwise could.
Even well-established businesses have been finding it more and more difficult to feasibly operate in Canada.
There are many private entrepreneurs and private businesses in Canada who are more than willing to providing local news coverage. Thanks solely to government, however, it's just not feasible for them to do so, so they don't.